Driving down a country road at night very often one got stuck behind a bullock cart with the driver fast asleep. The cows or bulls would pull the cart and walk right in the middle of the road. We would get hold of the cow and turn them with their cart around back in the opposition direction. Unfortunately we never had the pleasure to see the expression and surprise on the face of the cart driver when he woke up to find himself back in the place where he had originally started his journey. Joyce Munro On Behalf Of John Feltham Sent: Tuesday, March 25, 2008 12:53 PM Subject: [INDIA-BRITISH-RAJ] Tales from the Raj From another List. I recall a tale told about a gharri horse in Calcutta. A group of E/Os (who else!) were walking back to their ship berthed in Kidderpore Dock when they spied a lone gharri (Victoria) parked up with the gharri wallah

Joyce, Interesting story there! But you also say: <The cows or bulls would pull the cart...> Cart-pulling, and also other agricultural work, is exclusively for bullocks. Cows are never yoked. They are kept only for milk and for breeding more cows and bullocks. After they become old, they are usually just allowed to live out their days. As you know, eating beef is almost unknown in India. Those who do so have to be secretive about it as most Indians are very sensitive on this issue. Even Indians living in other countries normally avoid eating beef. Arvind Kolhatkar, Toronto, March 25, 2008.

More tales of the Raj!! Father told me that on more than one occasion they managed to entice a animal, usually a donkey or goat, into a lift/elevator in the very best hotel in Bombay and leave it on the roof...He didn't tell me how many glasses of interesting liquid they- not the donkey- had consumed before the event Peter D Rogers, Suffolk UK ---------------------------------------------------------- Driving down a country road at night very often one got stuck behind a bullock cart with the driver fast asleep. The cows or bulls would pull the cart and walk right in the middle of the road. We would get hold of the cow and turn them with their cart around back in the opposition direction. Unfortunately we never had the pleasure to see the expression and surprise on the face of the cart driver when he woke up to find himself back in the place where he had originally started his journey. Joyce Munro